The Kiss Before the Mirror was made by James Whale when he was Universal's premiere director, between The Old Dark House and The Invisible Man. Of course, Whale is remembered most for his two out-and-out masterworks: Frankenstein and its sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein. Much like the first two Godfather films, it's very hard to pick which one of those is the better film. … Continue reading The Kiss Before the Mirror – Blu-ray Review →

Boyhood is undeniably the culmination of Richard Linklater's work. It took 12 years to make, and interestingly enough became one of the smallest films to ever be nominated for best picture. It should've beaten Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) which is ironically much more gimmicky than the 12-year "gimmick" of Boyhood. Linklater is currently at work for … Continue reading Boyhood – UHD Review →

Magnificent Obsession is one of the first of the many 1950s melodramas that director Douglas Sirk became known for. It marks the first meaty film role for Rock Hudson as well, who had been stereotyped as a hunky romantic lead (although he had also done a lot of Westerns—including one with Sirk—and adventure films). Sirk … Continue reading Magnificent Obsession – Blu-Ray Review →

The In The Line of Duty series reinvented the Hong Kong action series by introducing the "girls with guns" subgenre. The first two films starred recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, and are the films that made her a star in Hong Kong. The films aren't really connected to each other except for the connecting theme of female … Continue reading In the Line of Duty III – Blu-Ray Review →

Fairyland is the debut feature from director Andrew Durham, a long-term collaborator of Sofia Coppola, who is one of the producers on the film. Coppola optioned Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father by Alysia Abbott, the source book for the film, soon after its publication. No doubt she saw some similarities with her own upbringing around the same … Continue reading Fairyland – Film Review (Sundance 2023) →